Gulf Construction Online - Key deals awarded for DWTC job

Regional News

Key deals awarded for DWTC job

01 January 2002

The Dh118.98 million ($32.39 million) contract for the construction of the 14-storey Dubai Convention Centre office building and podium, has been awarded to Khansaheb Civil Engineering, it was reported.

This follows the award of a contract to Al Naboodah Laing, the regional operating company of UK's Laing Construction, to build two new hotels at the Dubai World Trade Centre site.

The office building and podium contract is due to be completed within 365 days.

The two Naboodah Laing contracts Ñ a four-star, 420-bed Novotel and a 210-bed Ibis business hotel Ñ will come up adjacent to the Convention Centre, which will host the summit of the World Bank and IMF scheduled for late September of 2003.

Construction on the hotel projects began last month and is expected to be completed by April 2003.

The contract also includes construction of a state-of-the-art production kitchen, which will provide the DWTC's catering arm with the ability to produce up to 8,000 meals a day.

The lead consultant for the project is Arif & Bintoak, and the cost consultant D G Jones. The structural engineer is Hyder. Other organisations with a direct involvement in the project include Accor Hotel, the operator; Samuel Creations, the project designer; Roya International, DWTC's hospitality advisors; and Hill International, serving as the centre's representative on the project.

"We are very pleased to be back at the Dubai World Trade Centre site, where we recently completed a contract to build a new exhibition hall - expanding the total number of halls at the complex from seven to eight," said Al Naboodah Laing managing director Noel Dolan.

"We have now been entrusted with a much broader project that has a tight programme and must be completed on time."

The Convention Centre will have a capacity for 6,000 people with seating for 4,250 during the opening session.

There will be 25 meeting rooms, varying in capacity from 20 to 800 persons.

The floor area of the centre will be 8,100 sq m.